AWIS
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ASSOCIATION FOR WOMEN IN SCIENCE

Washington Wire

 

November 2011
Issue I

  

AWIS STEMiNARs are back!  On Tuesday, November 29, 2011, AWIS will host a webinar from 3:00 to 4:00 PM Eastern time with speaker Dr. Donna Dean.  Dr. Dean will talk on "Building Connections for a Lifetime of Career Options: How to Make Mentoring Work for You."
 
Anyone who would like to embark on an independent career and individuals who want a refresher on what to expect from mentoring experiences should participate in this STEMiNAR. Participants will come away with practical tools and techniques that they can deploy in keeping their mentoring needs on track.
  
Best regards,
  
Janet
____________
Janet Bandows Koster
AWIS Executive Director 
In This Issue
Careers
Education
Health
Science and Technology
Work Life Satisfaction
Events
Opportunities
Careers

 

Salary vs. Facebook Time
More than 4 in 10 young professionals say they would rather have Facebook access at work than a heftier salary, according to a study from Cisco Systems. The company's second annual Connected World Technology Report surveyed 1,400 college students aged 18 to 23 and 1,400 young professionals under the age of 30 across 14 countries.  At least one in four of those surveyed said the absence of remote access would influence their job decisions, such as leaving companies sooner rather than later, slacking off, or declining job offers outright.  

 

Easy does it


Navigating a Career Change: Disrupt Yourself
Six years into a mid-career move, Whitney Johnson shares some lessons learned from her personal disruptive trajectory.  Top tips include being prepared to feel scared and lonely, accept an uncharted path, and use new metrics to reframe your measure of success.

   

Innovating from the inside

 

A Look at Why Millennial Women Are Burning Out By 30
Young professional women including engineers are burning out at work before they reach 30 years old.  Men are twice as likely to advance at the entry-level, mid-management and senior levels.  One rationale is that men are 25% more likely to take breaks throughout the day for personal activities, 7% more likely to take a walk, 5% more likely to go out to lunch, and 35% more likely to take breaks "just to relax."

 

Lunch at 5pm 

Education

  

Women in Science Synonymous with Biology
Although there is still a shortage of women in many STEM fields, biology is the only life science that has a majority of women earning bachelor's, master's, and doctorate degrees. While women are flocking to this area, they are also taking some of the lowest paying jobs in STEM fields, bypassing higher wages in engineering and computer science.

 

Free Online Education Expands
The Khan Academy, a non-profit organization whose mission is to provide free education to the world, received a $5 million grant from the O'Sullivan Foundation.  The Academy uses videos and encourages students to continue working on the same topic until they master it before moving on. 


More Women in Canada, Japan Obtain Degrees Than US
A report by the OECD, Education at a Glance, compares countries' education performance.  Notable findings include the data that shows that 50% of the world's university grads come from only three countries: the US, China, and Japan.  The largest numbers of international students worldwide are from China, India, and Korea.  Also notable: the college completion rate for women in Canada is 64 percent, 59 percent in Japan, and 46 in America.

Health
 
Health Repercussions of Sexual Harassment
Unfortunately, today women are still the victims of sexual harassment. Many are not aware of, however, the negative health impacts such events can have on their life. Detrimental health effects range from depression to high blood pressure.

Fertility Math
High profile pregnancies by Hollywood actresses in their 40's might make getting pregnant look easy, but the data disagrees.  A healthy 40-year-old woman has about a 5 percent chance of conceiving per month and a 30-year-old woman about a 20 percent chance.  Infertility experts say most women aren't taught the basics of fertility and aging, and thus may not be making informed decisions when postponing pregnancy in order to pursue an education or career.

Science and Technology

More Money in Science and Technology for Everyone
A recently released study from the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce shows that science and engineering graduates enjoy high demand in a variety of fields-both science and non-science fields.  A bachelor's degree in a science major commands a greater salary than a master's degree in a non-science major.  As the need for STEM graduates increases could competition from non-STEM careers attract needed scientists from the traditional science careers?

 
Science, Technology and Industry (STI) Scoreboard
A recent report, OECD Science, Technology and Industry Scoreboard 2011, shows that while the US remains the top performer in R&D, countries not involved in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), such as China the second largest R&D peformer, are catching up fast. 

Work Life Satisfaction
 
Set Your Financial Goals Before You Say "I Do"
Money issues can derail a marriage, so it's important to talk about finances before tying the knot according to a new article in Forbes. You and your partner should discuss your financial histories and decide who will handle which financial tasks during the marriage, she writes. And don't forget to talk about closely related topics such as whether you want to have children and your career goals.


Handle the Holidays While Holding on to Your Sanity
If you're not looking forward to seeing your relatives over the holidays, you're not alone. To make this year's experience more enjoyable, think about why your previous interactions have been negative and decide how you want to act beforehand, writes Gretchen Rubin. Among her eight other tips for keeping the peace are steering clear of sensitive subjects and and easing up on your perfection.

AWIS News and Events
AWIS Central Arizona Chapter
Event: How to Be a More Productive Writer
Date: November 17
Time: 1:30PM - 3:00PM
Register Now

AWIS East Bay Chapter
Event: Microfluidics in Next Gen Proteomics
Date: November 17
Time: 6:30PM - 8:30PM 
Register Now

AWIS Philadelphia Chapter
Event: Convergent Medical Devices for Treating Disease
Date: November 17
Time: 6:00PM - 8:30PM
Register Now
 
AWIS West Texas Chapter
Event: Work-Life Satisfaction for Women in Science: Let's get started!
Date: November 18
Time: 12:00PM - 1:00PM
Register Now

AWIS Central Jersey Chapter
Event: Intellectual Property: Guidelines for Researchers
Date: November 21
Time: 4:00PM - 7:30PM
Register Now
 
AWIS STEMiNAR
Event: Building Connections for a Lifetime of Career Options: How to Make Mentoring Work for You
Date: November 29
Time: 3:00PM - 4:00PM EST
Register Now 
Opportunities
The American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering is hosting a Leadership Institute November 17-18, 20111 in Arlington, Virginia. AIMBE hopes to foster a greater understanding of the importance of mentoring along the career pipeline, and an expanded awareness of opportunities for mentoring, alternative methods, and best practices. The target audience is administrators, faculty, professional engineers, industry specialists, and students. November 17-18, 2011

The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and the National Postdoctoral Association (NPA) have announced the call for application for the 2011 Kauffman Foundation Outstanding Postdoctoral Entrepreneur and Emerging Postdoctoral Entrepreneur awards, which recognize commercialize research. The Outstanding Postdoctoral Entrepreneur will receive a $10,000 honorarium and a travel stipend. The Emerging Postdoctoral Entrepreneur Award will receive a $2,500 honorarium and travel stipend. Applications will be accepted through November 28, 2011

The AF SFFP offers a hands-on exposure to Air Force research challenge through eight (8) to twelve (12) week research residencies at participating Air Force Research Facilities for full-time science and engineering faculty at U.S. colleges and universities. Faculty members from Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Minority Institutions, American Indian Tribal Colleges and Universities, and Hispanic Serving Institutions (HBCU/MI/TCU/HIS) are especially encouraged to apply. The deadline for applying for 2012-2013 is November 30, 2011

The Schlumberger Foundation is awarding fellowships to women from developing economics as part of the Faculty for the Future program. The fellowships fund PhD or post-doctoral studies in the physical sciences and related disciplines at top universities abroad. Ultimately grant recipients are expected to contribute tot he socio-economic development of their home countries and regions by strengthening the faculties in their home universities, pursuing relevant research, or using their specific expertise to address policy issues. The deadline for applying for 2012-2013 is November 30, 2011.  

The National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) Teacher Award & Recognition Programs are awarding top teachers and principals for their outstanding work. There is also an award for a female middle grade level student! Awardees attend NSTA's national conference on science education and share in $80,000 in cash and prizes. You may nominate yourself, a fellow teacher, your principal, or a student. Deadline is November 30, 2011

This program provides up to $15,000 in support for research from degree granting institutions to travel either domestically or internationally to a laboratory to acquire a new research technique, to facilitate collaboration, or to attend a laboratory/lecture course. Applicants must hold a Ph.D. or currently studying in a Ph.D. program in mathematics, physics, chemistry, computer science, statistics, or engineering interested in investigating research opportunities in the biological sciences. Biologists interested in working with physical scientists, mathematicians, engineers, chemists, statisticians, or computer scientists to incorporate their ideas and approaches to answering biological questions are eligible. The application deadline is December 1, 2011

Faculty from NCIIA member institutions can apply for Course and Program grants for the purpose of strenghtening existing curricular programs or building new programs in invention, innovation, and entrepreneurship. Course and Program grants range in size from $2,000 to $50,000; the grant period is one to three years. The next submission deadline is December 2, 2011

Faculty and students from NCIIA member institutions can apply for Advanced E-Team grants to provide E-Teams with the support they need to bring an innovative product or technology from idea to prototype, and eventually to market. Successful Advanced E-Team grant proposals demonstrate an idea's technical feasibility, social value, and potential for commercialization. Advanced E-Team grants range in size from $1,000 to $20,000; the grant period is twelve to eighteen months. The next submission deadline is December 2, 2011
 
L'Oreal USA Fellowships for Women in Science Program
The L'Or�al USA Fellowships for Women in Science program is a national awards program that annually recognizes and rewards five U.S.-based women researchers at the beginning of their scientific careers. Recipients each receive up to $60,000 that must put towards their postdoctoral research.  The application period will close on December 15, 2011.

The Pasteur-Paris University Doctoral Program offers cutting edge training in a large variety of topics covering Molecular and Cellular training in a large variety of topics covering Molecular and Cellular Biology, Genetics, Immunology, Microbiology, Genomic, Bioinformatics, Structural Biology, Enzymology and Metabolism, Biological Chemistry, Virology, Parasitology, Medical Mycology, Epidemiology, Infectiology, Imaging, Neurosciences, Developmental Biology and Systems Biology. Students will conduct their research in one of the 120 laboratories of the Institut Pasteur. At the end of their studies (typically three years), students will defend their PhD according to European guidelines. Students will recieve a stipend to cover their living expenses, health insurance, and possibly assistance for accommodations. The application deadline is December 15, 2011.
 
The Pasteur Foundation internship program provides U.S. undergrads with the opportunity to conduct supervised summer research at the Institut Pasteur. Applicants must 1) be undergraduates with an excellent academic record and a strong interest in biosciences and biomedical research (prior lab experiences is highly recommended); 2) have completed three full years (six semesters) of college course work by the time the internship commences; and 3) not have received an undergraduate degree at the time of application. Knowledge of French or desire to learn it is advisable. The program is open to U.S. citizens only. The application deadline is December 16, 2011.  

 

Emergency Medicine/Pediatric Emergency Medicine K12 Research Program
The UC Davis Department of Emergency Medicine is proud to announce the availability of a 2-3 year Emergency Medicine K12 Research Program beginning in July 2012.  The program combines training in clinical emergency medicine research with graduate level training at UC Davis.  We seek scholars who are dedicated to careers that will greatly focus on high-quality, high-impact clinical EM research. We are very interested in both Emergency Medicine and Pediatric Emergency Medicine physician-scholars, and particularly those with a special interest in multicenter research.  Notification of scholar selection will begin on January 3, 2012.
 
The goal of the Einstein Fellowship program is to provide an opportunity for teachers to inform national policy and improve communication between K-12 STEM education community and national leaders. If selected, Einstein fellows spend a school y ear in Washington, DC, sharing their expertise as a fellow in one of the several government agency offices, such as the DOE, NASA, NSF, NOAA, or in the office of a member of Congress. Selection is based on exemplary experience in K-12 STEM teaching; demonstrated leadership in the community; an understanding of national, state, and local education policy; and communication and interpersonal skills. The application deadline is January 5, 2012.

 

Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine (ELAM)

The Drexel University College of Medicine is accepting applications for the Hedwig van Ameringen Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine (ELAM) Program for Women.  ELAM is intended for senior women faculty at U.S. and Canadian academic health centers who have attained at least the rank of associate professor; have achieved significant administrative experience in personnel and budget matters, preferably both (e.g., as chair, division chief); express a clear desire for attaining a leadership position; embrace strategic risk-taking in their career path; realistically assess their leadership opportunities, both internal and external; possess growth opportunities, either formal or informal, within their institution; and have an expressed commitment from their institution to support their formal or informal advancement and opportunities for increased responsibility in the immediate to five-year range.  All application materials are due by January 12, 2012

 

NIH Director's Early Independence Award Program
The NIH Director's Early Independence Award to provide a mechanism for exceptional, early career scientists to omit traditional post-doctoral training, and move into independent research positions at U.S. institutions directly upon completion of their graduate degrees (Ph.D, M.D. or equivalent).  The application deadline is January 30, 2012.  
Quick Links
AWIS Chapter Leader Spotlight

Amanda Bryant-Friedrich 

 

Amanda Bryant-Friedrich

 

Dr. Bryant-Friedrich is the President of the AWIS Northwestern Ohio chapter and Associate Professor for the Department of Medicinal & Biological Chemistry at the University of Toledo.

 

Read more about Amanda.

 

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